Live Big with Ali Vincent Episodes

Live Big Participant Gets Surgery on Loose Skin

Ali Vincent, the first female to win 'The Biggest Loser,' answers your questions on everything from loose skin after weight loss to how to shed those last 10 pounds. Plus, a member of the Live Big family gets the makeover of her dreams.

Since Ali Vincent was the first female to win The Biggest Loser she has learned a lot about food and fitness. She is helping one Live Big viewer lose the last 10 pounds.

Lucy has lost 53 pounds but she wants to lose 10 more and she is struggling. She has hit a weight loss plateau.

Lucy isn't new to working out. She works out several days a week taking Bokwa, Zumba, Triple Kick and Boot Camp classes.

"To get you to continue to lose weight, the biggest thing that we have to do is we have to keep our body guessing. Anytime our bodies get used to what we're doing, it gets complacent and it quits working for us. If you were going to keep doing the things that you're already doing, you could add some ankle weights, like to your Bokwa class or to your Zumba class," says Ali.

Ali suggests that she mix up her workouts and add some different types of workouts to her routine, such as hiking and biking, and she recommends keeping track of the calories that she takes in and burns during her workouts.

"But I think that mixing up your workouts is key and to also really pay attention to your diet and make sure that you're fueling your body correctly and that you're getting those nutrients to give you the energy to continue your level of exercise that you're doing," says Ali.

Ali challenged her to lose the last 10 pounds in 12 weeks. She was able to do it but it didn't stay off. She is still working on taking her workouts to the next level and eating healthy foods that will keep her engerized.

Ali Vincent is always being asked questions about health, fitness, diet, and exercise. While she was in Kansas City for the Live Well Expo, she answered many of those questions. Click here to learn more about Ali's Q&A.

Ali Vincent visited Dr. Timothy Jochen to see how to get rid of saggy excess skin left over from extreme weight loss. He says there are options for removing excess skin from weightloss.

"If you lose a lot of weight, a lot of people don't realize that over a period of time, some of it's going to retract. We have a laser called a Velashape laser and this laser will actually help to tighten the skin just a little bit. So people are a little bit discouraged and they want a little boost, I'll often times have them use this laser to tighten the skin just a little bit. Now that's for people that are a little bit thinner. Now you have people that have had massive weight loss like you did, you know over 100 pounds, a lot of times the elasticity is really burned out in their skin, and so they really do have to have some surgical removal of that excess skin," says Dr. Jochen. "And it's an expensive procedure, it's an invasive procedure, and it's a life-changing procedure and you don't want to go through it more than one time, in my opinion."

Dr. Jochen says sometimes insurance companies will cover the procedure because it is considered to be disfiguring as opposed to a cosmetic situation. It takes one month to fully recover from the surgery but typically you don't see the final results from 12 to 18 months.

"It's important. The way we look is important. It, you know allows us to go for things in life. It holds us back in life," says Ali.

"But the real power of beauty is the self-esteem that you have associated with it," says Dr. Jochen. "And the self-confidence to go out there and get that job, to get a boyfriend, to you know, to live your life in a healthy, happy way," says Dr. Jochen.

That sagging skin was a huge issue for Nicole Lizzarago. The first time Ali Vincent met her was at a 'Live Big' group hike at Runyon Canyon. She told Ali that her weight had ballooned to 240 pounds, and it took a personal tragedy for her to wake up and realize it's time to get healthy and fit.

"We were on a cruise. I had met somebody on that cruise. We were talking, we were hanging out and had a really good time, and we were going to meet up again, because we really had a connection. And a couple days before, he hadn't called me. I'm like, what's going on? Why isn't he calling? And then his mom called, said are you Nicole and I said yes. She told me he died. I'm like how did he die? And he was overweight as well. And they thought part of it was because he was overweight. And that's what triggered me -- I need to lose weight," says Nicole.

Nicole has lost over 100 pounds and has kept it off for more than seven years. But that weight loss left her with an unwanted souvenir -- saggy skin around her stomach area.

"It makes me feel like I'm still overweight, even though I know I'm not," asks Nicole.

So Nicole decided it's time to do something about it.

"So we're going to be doing an extended tummy tuck and liposuction. In her case also we're going to be tightening the muscle from inside," says Dr. Smaili.

"OK, yeah so we have, we have the excess skin here, and then we can see that the muscle is weak here, so the muscle has actually separated and what we do is we bring it together and, and when we bring it together it has only one way to go which is in and then the skin from this level down to this level will be removed completely," says Dr. Smaili. "And the only incision she'll have is a straight incision from here to here which will be hidden underneath the underwear."

Ali checked in on Nicole after the surgery to to see how she's doing.

"It went great. I was ready for it, I was determined to have it done and we went in, had it done, two and a half hours later I was home," says Nicole. "I thought the pain was going to be really bad because I've heard so many horror stories. My pain wasn't that bad. I mean, I was up doing things the same day. Harder than what I thought? I think getting back into working out. I can't run the way I want to yet and doing weights. So I go lower weights or I do it down on my back," says Nicole.

Nicole looks great! She has the flat stomach she has always wanted and the doctor was able to remove 95% of her stretch marks.

Ali's Big Three:

1. Set clear goals. If you don't know exactly what you want, you won't achieve anything! Be specific, give yourself deadlines and you'll see great results!

2. Start a workout at work! Gather a bunch of co-workers together for a lunchtime walk. Not only are you guys going to be burning calories, you're also going to clear your brain for a more productive afternoon!

3. Ask questions! The more you ask, the more you learn. No question is too silly. If you're wondering other people probably are, too!

Ali Vincent visits Dr. Timothy Jochen to see how to get rid of saggy excess skin left over from extreme weight loss. And, Live Big participant Nicole Lizzarago prepares for her own excess skin removal surgery.